Russia accuses Israel of detaining anti-Zionist historian

The Russian Human Rights Council has appealed to the United Nations, requesting intervention in the case of 51-year-old historian Artyom Kirpichonok, who according to associates disappeared in Israel earlier this month. The council alleges that Kirpichonok was detained by Israel’s Shin Bet security agency shortly after arriving at Ben Gurion Airport. The Russian body has called on the UN to demand that Israeli authorities provide grounds for the detention, as well as access to legal counsel, medical care, and case materials. Activists claim the detention is linked to his political views, noting that no formal charges have been disclosed. Kirpichonok, born in St. Petersburg, immigrated to Israel in the 1990s, studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and returned to Russia about 15 years ago. He has frequently published work critical of Israel and Zionism. Israeli authorities have not publicly responded to the allegations, though Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov previously stated that Russian diplomats were monitoring the situation.